Holiday Craft Fair benefiting the Senior Class of 2026!
📅 Nov 13, 5-9 PM
📍 West Hempstead Secondary School, 400 Nassau Blvd
Local artisan gifts, crafts, refreshments & raffles!
Questions? alison.heikkila@gmail.com
#WHeRiseTogether #ShopLocal #SeniorClass2026 @wh_secondary
📅 Nov 13, 5-9 PM
📍 West Hempstead Secondary School, 400 Nassau Blvd
Local artisan gifts, crafts, refreshments & raffles!
Questions? alison.heikkila@gmail.com
#WHeRiseTogether #ShopLocal #SeniorClass2026 @wh_secondary
🌟 West Hempstead Community Wellness Day!
📅 Sunday, Nov 16, 12-3 PM
📍 WH Secondary School
Sports training, boxing, Pilates, health screenings & more! All ages welcome.
#CommunityWellness #WHeRiseTogether #HealthyLiving
📅 Sunday, Nov 16, 12-3 PM
📍 WH Secondary School
Sports training, boxing, Pilates, health screenings & more! All ages welcome.
#CommunityWellness #WHeRiseTogether #HealthyLiving
Holiday Craft Fair benefiting the Senior Class of 2026!
📅 Nov 13, 5-9 PM
📍 West Hempstead Secondary School, 400 Nassau Blvd
Local artisan gifts, crafts, refreshments & raffles!
Questions? alison.heikkila@gmail.com
#WHeRiseTogether #ShopLocal #SeniorClass2026 @wh_secondary
📅 Nov 13, 5-9 PM
📍 West Hempstead Secondary School, 400 Nassau Blvd
Local artisan gifts, crafts, refreshments & raffles!
Questions? alison.heikkila@gmail.com
#WHeRiseTogether #ShopLocal #SeniorClass2026 @wh_secondary
Mental Sweat Meets Pure Joy at Chestnut Street Elementary
This week at Chestnut Street Elementary, students are hard at work developing their numeracy skills through the engaging game "Compare" – and as evidenced by their joyful expressions, they're having an incredible time doing it!
The Power of Engaged Learning
These moments capture an important educational principle: mental sweat and the joy of learning do not need to be mutually exclusive. When students are deeply engaged in meaningful mathematical thinking, challenged to compare numbers and develop strategic reasoning, they experience both the satisfaction of rigorous learning and genuine delight in the process.
Creating Learning Environments That Inspire
This is the kind of learning environment we strive to create across all West Hempstead UFSD schools – where academic excellence and student engagement go hand in hand, where effort is celebrated, and where the work of learning feels like play.
Through carefully designed learning experiences like this one, our students develop:
Critical numeracy and mathematical reasoning skills
Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities
A positive relationship with academic challenge
Confidence in their own learning capabilities
Celebrating Our Educators
Thank you to our incredible educators at Chestnut Street and throughout the district who design these powerful learning experiences every single day. Your dedication to creating engaging, rigorous, and joyful classrooms makes all the difference in our students' lives.
Keep up the amazing work, Chestnut Street!
#WHeRiseTogether
This week at Chestnut Street Elementary, students are hard at work developing their numeracy skills through the engaging game "Compare" – and as evidenced by their joyful expressions, they're having an incredible time doing it!
The Power of Engaged Learning
These moments capture an important educational principle: mental sweat and the joy of learning do not need to be mutually exclusive. When students are deeply engaged in meaningful mathematical thinking, challenged to compare numbers and develop strategic reasoning, they experience both the satisfaction of rigorous learning and genuine delight in the process.
Creating Learning Environments That Inspire
This is the kind of learning environment we strive to create across all West Hempstead UFSD schools – where academic excellence and student engagement go hand in hand, where effort is celebrated, and where the work of learning feels like play.
Through carefully designed learning experiences like this one, our students develop:
Critical numeracy and mathematical reasoning skills
Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities
A positive relationship with academic challenge
Confidence in their own learning capabilities
Celebrating Our Educators
Thank you to our incredible educators at Chestnut Street and throughout the district who design these powerful learning experiences every single day. Your dedication to creating engaging, rigorous, and joyful classrooms makes all the difference in our students' lives.
Keep up the amazing work, Chestnut Street!
#WHeRiseTogether
The Lifelong Benefits of Reading Aloud
One of the most common misconceptions in education is that reading aloud becomes unnecessary once children can read independently. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Reading aloud is one of the most powerful tools we have for building literacy skills at every age. When we read to children—whether they're 5 or 15—we're doing far more than entertaining them.
We're expanding their vocabulary with words they wouldn't encounter in conversation. We're exposing them to complex sentence structures and diverse writing styles. We're building their comprehension skills by helping them follow intricate plots and multiple character perspectives. We're teaching them that reading is valuable, enjoyable, and worth prioritizing.
The research is compelling. Studies show that children who are read to regularly have significantly larger vocabularies, stronger comprehension skills, and better academic outcomes across all subjects. They're also more likely to become lifelong readers themselves.
But here's what moves me most as an educator: reading aloud creates connection. In our busy, distracted world, those 15 minutes of shared story time say to your child, "You matter. This matters. We matter."
This week, I encourage you to start or restart a read-aloud routine:
• Let your child choose the book (engagement matters more than literary merit)
• Read with expression and emotion—make it theatrical!
• Pause to discuss, predict, and connect to your child's life
• Make it consistent, even if brief
If you have teens who resist, try audiobooks together during car rides or family dinners. The medium matters less than the shared experience.
"Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read." - Marilyn Jager Adams
Let's make reading aloud a non-negotiable part of family life.
#WHeRiseAbove #ReadAloud #LiteracyDevelopment #FamilyTime #EducationLeadership
One of the most common misconceptions in education is that reading aloud becomes unnecessary once children can read independently. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Reading aloud is one of the most powerful tools we have for building literacy skills at every age. When we read to children—whether they're 5 or 15—we're doing far more than entertaining them.
We're expanding their vocabulary with words they wouldn't encounter in conversation. We're exposing them to complex sentence structures and diverse writing styles. We're building their comprehension skills by helping them follow intricate plots and multiple character perspectives. We're teaching them that reading is valuable, enjoyable, and worth prioritizing.
The research is compelling. Studies show that children who are read to regularly have significantly larger vocabularies, stronger comprehension skills, and better academic outcomes across all subjects. They're also more likely to become lifelong readers themselves.
But here's what moves me most as an educator: reading aloud creates connection. In our busy, distracted world, those 15 minutes of shared story time say to your child, "You matter. This matters. We matter."
This week, I encourage you to start or restart a read-aloud routine:
• Let your child choose the book (engagement matters more than literary merit)
• Read with expression and emotion—make it theatrical!
• Pause to discuss, predict, and connect to your child's life
• Make it consistent, even if brief
If you have teens who resist, try audiobooks together during car rides or family dinners. The medium matters less than the shared experience.
"Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read." - Marilyn Jager Adams
Let's make reading aloud a non-negotiable part of family life.
#WHeRiseAbove #ReadAloud #LiteracyDevelopment #FamilyTime #EducationLeadership
"I really appreciate the collaborative atmosphere at Cornwell Avenue School. Additionally, I love the strong sense of school community where everyone works together to support every student's success."
Join the RamFam! 🐏 #WHe are hiring Teaching Assistants & Aides. Help shape young minds and support our students. Competitive pay and great team environment. Apply today! #WHewantyourtalent #NowHiring #EducationJobs #WHeRiseTogether
📚 Parent-Teacher Conferences are here!
Join us on November 3 (5:30-9:00 PM) & Nov 4 (8:30 AM-2:30 PM) to discuss your child's progress, set goals & plan for success. Your involvement matters!
#ParentTeacherConferences #WHeRiseTogether #TeamRams 🐏
🌟 West Hempstead Community Wellness Day!
📅 Sunday, Nov 16, 12-3 PM
📍 WH Secondary School
Sports training, boxing, Pilates, health screenings & more! All ages welcome.
#CommunityWellness #WHeRiseTogether #HealthyLiving
📅 Sunday, Nov 16, 12-3 PM
📍 WH Secondary School
Sports training, boxing, Pilates, health screenings & more! All ages welcome.
#CommunityWellness #WHeRiseTogether #HealthyLiving
Looking for educators! West Hempstead UFSD is hiring for our RamPathways after-school program (Jan 5-Feb 5, 2026):
📚 ELA & Math instructors (grades 7-12)
🎨 Youth Development instructors
👥 Site Coordinator
$105-110/diem | Apply by Nov 18 at www.olasjobs.org
#WHeRiseTogether
📚 ELA & Math instructors (grades 7-12)
🎨 Youth Development instructors
👥 Site Coordinator
$105-110/diem | Apply by Nov 18 at www.olasjobs.org
#WHeRiseTogether
📚 Parent-Teacher Conferences are here!
Join us on November 3 (5:30-9:00 PM) & Nov 4 (8:30 AM-2:30 PM) to discuss your child's progress, set goals & plan for success. Your involvement matters!
#ParentTeacherConferences #WHeRiseTogether #TeamRams 🐏
📚 Parent-Teacher Conferences are here!
Join us on November 3 (5:30-9:00 PM) & Nov 4 (8:30 AM-2:30 PM) to discuss your child's progress, set goals & plan for success. Your involvement matters!
#ParentTeacherConferences #WHeRiseTogether #TeamRams 🐏
📢WH residents: Does your child turn 4 by 12/1/26? Complete our UPK General Interest/School Choice Survey to express interest in our Sept '26 program. Survey goes live on 11/3. Check the website for details! https://www.whufsd.com/o/chestnut-street/page/universal-pre-kindergarten
Our Rams brought their A-game to the @WHGWashington fall parade! 🎃✨ From cheerleaders to wizards, sharks to Pikachu, our students brought amazing creativity & energy to the field. Staff joined in on the fun too! Perfect fall day celebrating our incredible community! 🧡🖤
What an amazing fall parade at @CornwellAveES! 🎃👻 Students brought their creativity with incredible costumes—from superheroes to witches, dinosaurs to angels! So much joy and excitement as they paraded around the playground. Love seeing our community celebrate together! 🧡💜
Building Readers, Building Futures
One of the most powerful predictors of student success isn't test scores or technology—it's reading proficiency. When students become confident readers, they don't just improve in English class; they unlock potential across every subject and every aspect of life.
The beautiful thing about reading? It's never too late to start building this habit.
Here's your family challenge this week: Carve out 20 minutes of distraction-free reading time. Put the devices away, turn off the TV, and dive into a book together. Whether you're reading aloud to younger children or reading side-by-side with teens, you're modeling something invaluable.
You might be surprised by the conversations that follow and the connection that deepens.
"There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book." - Frank Serafini
Let's help our children find their right book—and watch them soar.
#WHeRiseAbove #ReadTogether #LiteracyMatters #ParentingWin #FamilyTime
One of the most powerful predictors of student success isn't test scores or technology—it's reading proficiency. When students become confident readers, they don't just improve in English class; they unlock potential across every subject and every aspect of life.
The beautiful thing about reading? It's never too late to start building this habit.
Here's your family challenge this week: Carve out 20 minutes of distraction-free reading time. Put the devices away, turn off the TV, and dive into a book together. Whether you're reading aloud to younger children or reading side-by-side with teens, you're modeling something invaluable.
You might be surprised by the conversations that follow and the connection that deepens.
"There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book." - Frank Serafini
Let's help our children find their right book—and watch them soar.
#WHeRiseAbove #ReadTogether #LiteracyMatters #ParentingWin #FamilyTime
📢WH residents: Does your child turn 4 by 12/1/26? Complete our UPK General Interest/School Choice Survey to express interest in our Sept '26 program. Survey goes live on 11/3. Check the website for details! https://www.whufsd.com/o/chestnut-street/page/universal-pre-kindergarten
🎃👻 Fall Festival parade spirit was ALIVE @WHChestnut Street! From tiny superheroes to creative costumes, our students & staff made today unforgettable. Special thanks to @wh_secondary for their beautiful voices & rhythms! 🧙♀️✨ #WHeRiseTogether
📚 Parent-Teacher Conferences are here!
Join us on November 3 (5:30-9:00 PM) & Nov 4 (8:30 AM-2:30 PM) to discuss your child's progress, set goals & plan for success. Your involvement matters!
#ParentTeacherConferences #WHeRiseTogether #TeamRams 🐏
Join us on November 3 (5:30-9:00 PM) & Nov 4 (8:30 AM-2:30 PM) to discuss your child's progress, set goals & plan for success. Your involvement matters!
#ParentTeacherConferences #WHeRiseTogether #TeamRams 🐏
WHUFSD & That's My Brick created a legacy walk at the @wh_secondary athletic complex gateway. Show your #RamPride by purchasing a personalized brick! Info: https://www.whufsd.com/article/2471164 #WHeRiseTogether
